"Motivation Is the Most Important Aspect When Sports Are Concerned" - Siddhesh Parab

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1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I'm a marketing strategist and business development manager by profession with a 9 to 5 job. I used to play inter-college football, but had an accident during a game and had to undergo ACL replacement surgery. My doctor asked me to quit football and go for some other sport that won't give side way jerks to my knee. After a long break, when I started with my job, I started training for small runs – 5km, 10km, and soon within a year started training for marathons. 

After 1 year of running, I heard of this sport called Triathlon where one has to swim then cycle and finally run in a given time frame. This was way more challenging than doing just marathons. I started learning swimming, bought a racing cycle and started training for a triathlon.

To summarise,

In the past 3 years, I've done a total of 10 half marathons (21.1km), 4 Marathons (42.2km), 3 Half iron triathlons ( 1.9km Swim, 90km cycle, 21km run). Now I'm training for Ironman triathlon which has 3.8km swimming, 180km cycling and 42km running to be completed in 17hrs.

2. How did you decide to make your passion your career? Was your family supportive?

Marathons and triathlons are just my hobbies. Though my family has been supporting me for the same.

3. Who is your favourite player and what have you learnt from him/her?

I don't have a favourite player as such. Though there are various triathletes whom I admire, one of them being Tim Don. I mentioned this particular triathlete because of the car accident he faced where he injured his spine, but he didn't give up on his career. He took a break for healing and came back as strong as he was before.

4. What is the level of commitment and time required to make a sport a career?

Though Triathlon is not my career, it takes a lot of time commitment and dedication, right from physical exercise to dietary restrictions. Since I have a 9 to 5 job, my everyday training has to be adjusted in the remaining time. 

Typically my day starts at 4am, I cook my meals for the day and either go for cycling or swimming for 2 – 3hours.  I spend my evenings doing either muscle training at the gym or a run for another 2hrs. 

Sundays are meant for long-distance workouts like swimming followed by either 15 – 30km running or long-distance cycling which might range anywhere between 100km to 250km.

5. How can we encourage more youngsters to take up sports as a full-time profession?

Cannot comment on this. But as far as a hobby or part-time profession is concerned, I believe it's the friend's circle or the parents who have to motivate their children to join a training group or a coach to start such sports-related activities. Motivation is the most important aspect when sports are concerned. 

Every human has the drive to earn money by doing a simple job. But for getting up early every day and do strenuous physical activity every day needs an internal drive which cannot be built if the person is not motivated by his or her peers or parents at an early stage of life.

6. Which is your favourite book, and why?

I do not really read books (especially storybooks) I'm more of a statistics and numbers person. Even while swimming, cycling or running, I'm more concerned about the numbers, may it be speed/ cadence/power/heart rate. I like reading up on articles and researches on sports/food that help me boost my performance.

Interview by - Chaitra